It's official. The Hodgson family have the best of the best in their Holstein herd , grazing the fields on the outskirts of Carlisle .

The renowned Burgh by Sands breeders snatched the top prize after Holstein clubs across the country entered their winning herds in a series of competitions over the past year.

After winning their local Border & Lakeland club summer herd competition, Harry, Margaret, David and Louise Hodgson went head-to-head with the five best from the north, before taking on winners from all regions in the UK.

News that they were the premier herd in the UK was announced when the family travelled to compete in classes at this year's UK Dairy Day.

"We are chuffed to bits," said David, whose passion for genetics has led to many wins in the show ring for the family.

"We had two cows entered in one of the classes at the Dairy Day, and were attending to them, but at the same time trying to keep an eye on the Premier Herd presentation. It was surreal," added David's wife, Louise.

"We were very surprised, but delighted, and the enormity of it has just begun to sink in," David said.

Margaret and Harry moved to Wormanby in 1972, and since then, along with David and Louise, have built up a herd that has picked up numerous trophies and awards.

The family took third place in the Dairy Day senior three-year-old class when their winning animal, Wormanby Atwood Linda, went into the ring to compete against 17 of the country's best Holsteins.

Early this year the cow won the fiercely-contested dairy classes at the Cumberland Show and took third placing at Carlisle’s Dairy Expo, when she stood alongside an impressive line-up of the country’s best dairy animals.

The family's Wormanby Jordan Sandra took seventh placing when it stood alongside Atwood Linda in the same class at the Dairy Day.

From the same herd, Wormanby Spectrum Mahala took sixth place in the senior two-year-old in milk; Wormanby Aftershock Gloriette took second placing in the junior three-year-old in milk and ninth placing in the four-year-old in milk class; and Wormanby Lavanguard Linda took fourth placing in the junior two-year-old in milk.

As winners of the UK Premier Herd award, the Hodgson family will host next year's Holstein National Open Day.

Holstein clubs across the country were showing their cows as a team at the Dairy Day.

Cows are looked after and shown by a team of people from a club, meaning even if a farmer has no showing experience, they can still send their cows to compete at the highest level.

With 296 registered members, the Border and Lakeland club descended on Telford with 12 cows looked after and shown by a team of eight Holstein enthusiasts.

New to the showing game are business partners Sarah Sutton and Wayne Stead, who stormed to show victory with a young heifer they’d only bought this summer.

The pair, who are in charge of looking after the dairy herd at Newton Rigg College, near Penrith, set the show ring alight with their second calver. Warnelview Winners Silverwings took the reserve junior championship title. 

The animal also picked up the top dairy prize at Penrith Show earlier this year.

The couple had bought the animal privately from renowned Holstein breeders Kevin and Christine Wilson, or Wood Farm, Thursby near Carlisle, just a week before taking her into the ring at Penrith.

Part of the show team was Matthew Williamson, who also had a cow in the final B&L club line-up.

Milking the 225-head Ingleden herd with his father Andrew and mother Jill at Inglewood House, Penrith, Matt took his two-year-old heifer Ingleden Windbrook Galilee to a well-deserved second placing in the junior two-year-old in milk class.

Other Cumbrians who featured in the top placings were Duncan and Helen Horsley from Catterlen, near Penrith, who took a third placing in the intermediate two-year-old class with Woodcatt Goldsun Mahala, and a seventh placing in the intermediate two-year-old in milk class with Woodcatt Gold Melinda, and a fourth placing in the senior three-year-old in milk with Woodcatt Madison Penny.

Messrs M. Armstrong of the Wolfa herd at Great Salkeld, near Penrith, took a fifth placing in the five-year-old in milk class with Wolfa TDR Anna Red Rosedale Touchdown Red. The same animal saw the family take an honourable mention in the red and white section.

Carlisle-based dairy auctioneer Glyn Lucas, who managed the B&L club team, said: "It was a massive success for our club and for the Cumbrian breeders.  

"The younger animals exhibited will only improve and will be prospective national champions in the future."